Hull’s railway bridges are so dirty and plagued by nesting birds that “people avoid walking under them”

One of the bridges, in Chanterlands Avenue, is so notorious that a mock sign has been placed there, rechristening it “Guano Bridge”. Coun John Robinson, of Avenue ward, pinned the blame on Network Rail – which is responsible for Britain’s railway infrastructure – and called on it to do more to tackle the problems.

Coun Robinson tabled a motion at a meeting of Hull City Council yesterday, asking officials to meet with Network Rail to thrash out a solution for some 20 bridges in the city. Those in Chanterlands Avenue, Beverley Road and Dansom Lane were said to be most in need of a clean-up.

According to the motion, a lack of maintenance has left the bridges in a poor state of appearance, with nesting birds, graffiti and damaged pavements. Cllr Robinson said it was time for the council to get tough on the issue and insist on a clean-up and maintenance programme.

He said: “Residents in the city avoid walking under some bridges due to poor lighting and the bird mess on the pavement. Network Rail must maintain these bridges properly to begin with so that council tax payers aren’t wasting money cleaning up problems which they have the power to fix.

“People are fed up of looking at graffiti on bridges and where this council wants to get tough on the issue, it’s being let down by Network Rail. Residents in my area have a number of bridges around the Chanterlands Avenue and Newland Avenue area [and] these all need regular maintenance. A simple programme of maintenance and cleaning would have such a positive effect on those who live in the community.”

Coun Mike Ross, the council’s leader, said his administration was committed to making Hull a cleaner, greener city. “Many local people across the city have reported the poor state of these bridges and now we’re pulling together a plan to act,” he added.

A spokesperson for Network Rail said the organisation was aware raised and insisted that safety came first. The spokesperson said: “Our priority is always to ensure that our structures are safe for the trains and people that use them, and any issues that may affect this are quickly resolved. We look forward to speaking with the council to address these concerns together.”

It is not the first time councillors have complained about the problem in recent months. Last September, Coun Marjorie Brabazon and Coun Abhi Singh also complained about the condition of the bridge in Chanterlands Avenue and claimed that Network Rail had shown disinterest in the problem. At the time, Network Rail said it was working with the council on a long-term solution.